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A South Afrcan court has criticised the government over its failure to prevent Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir from leaving the country, despite an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court.

The court had ordered the president to remain in the country while it investigated whether he could be arrested, however he was allowed to leave by plane, with the tacit approval of the South African government.

Judge Dunstan Mlambo said there was reason to believe that the South African government had committed a crime by ignoring the court order, and gave the government 24 hours to explain its actions.

"If the state... does not abide by court orders, the democratic edifice will crumble stone-by-stone until it collapses," he said.